IYouth Campaign

The Campaign That Brought The World Youth Together
Aga Khan University (AKU) is Pakistan's first private, autonomous, international University. It strives to provide well-rounded educational programmes, engage in research relevant to developing countries and offer high quality healthcare services. Like all major academic centres aspiring to excellence, AKU needs to have an infrastructure for sports and fitness facilities that complements its academic programmes and hospital services.

It was with this foresight that in November 1996, the University's Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan and its Board of Trustees approved the plan to build a Sports and Rehabilitation Centre at the main Karachi campus.

The 12.5 acres Sports and Rehabilitation Centre was completed in November 1999 and includes:

• an ambulatory patient rehabilitation programme
• an air-conditioned gymnasium with the capacity to seat 1,200 spectators
• a basketball court
• an Olympic length swimming pool
• aerobics, exercise and weight training rooms
• cricket and football fields
• tennis, volleyball and squash courts etc

The AKU Sports and Rehabilitation Centre is a US $6 million project. In order to ensure that major donor funds were not detracted from AKU's academic programmes, the Chancellor graciously pledged to match donations contributed towards the $3 million campaign.

The campaign was launched in several of the 30 participating countriesin August 1997, and concluded in Canada in March 1998.Primarily aimed towards the youth and led by young volunteers (half of whom were under 25), the campaign solicited contributions from individual youth donors, youth groups and families who sponsored their young members. The unit of contribution was fixed at US $500 or equivalent in local currencies, with the worldwide objective of raising 6000 units.

To implement a campaign of this scale, planning commenced in December 1996, with the appointment of an international core team. Youth teams were then organized in each country and volunteers were equipped with information about AKU. Each team was encouraged to develop creative ideas for launching the campaign in their respective countries. While the respective AKU National Resource Development Convenors oversaw the campaign, youth teams organized all campaign activities.

In addition to raising funds, the objectives of the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre Campaign included creating a wider awareness of AKU, promoting the spirit of volunteerism and cultivating habits of giving amongst the youth.

Volunteer Support
Young volunteers from around the world got together to help execute this campaign in all phases of its implementation, demonstrating a remarkable frontier less brotherhood.

• Pakistani volunteers developed a computer software system that was used world wide to track donations. In addition, they also prepared a volunteers' training kit which was distributed at all training sessions world wide.
• Volunteers in the UK helped with the compilation of the children's brochure, revising the campaign video and designing the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre T-shirt.
• The USA volunteers developed and maintained the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre Web-site and suggested designs for the campaign logo and the memento.
• The UAE volunteers arranged to print and distribute all campaign brochures at no charge.
• The French and Canadian teams helped in translating the campaign posters and brochures into French.

Even non-campaign volunteers got into the act, when some Pakistani test cricketers and a US basketball star autographed cricket bats and basketballs that were auctioned in participating countries to defray the cost of the campaign. The activities succeeded in bringing the youth community closer by cultivating a feeling of unity of purpose, created an excitement of participating in completing the infrastructure of a world-class University, promoted volunteerism and gave an opportunity to experience the joy of giving.

The Success Story
The construction of Aga Khan University Sports and Rehabilitation Centre was completed in November 1999. We appreciate the drive and motivation of the hundreds of young volunteers and supporters from around the world, which made it all possible.

The AKU Sports and Rehabilitation Centre Campaign not only achieved fund raising targets, in some cases within a month of launching the campaign, but the sheer participation of over 50,000 youth from world over is indicative of the interest amongst the young in the activities of AKDN institutions. This campaign helped instill in them an understanding of the issues facing the developing world and generated innovative ideas for fund raising, especially in different cultural contexts.

Innovative Initiatives
The bases of all activities were the local Jamatkhanas, although nearly 10% of funds were raised from outside the Ismaili Jamat. Youth volunteersused their talent and creativity, in consultation with the National Convenor and the respective Ismaili Councils, to plan and organize events.

• In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, an AKU Sports and Rehabilitation Centre Day was organized and the entrance and raffle draw charges helped raise a few units.
• In Singapore, a Youth Night was held which included an art competition for young children.
• In the Gulf countries awareness presentations were made and a special AKU Day was held in the UAE.
• In Kenya, a Golf tournament helped raise 15 units from outside the Ismaili community.
• In USA, besides an event held to auction of autographed bats and basketballs, several awareness presentations and workshops were held.
• The UK volunteers showed creativity in organizing the Skills Donation Camp where youth were encouraged to donate their time and expertise in order to raise units in their own names as well as a weeklong 'Netcafe' project.
• In Pakistan, Jamati institutions and youth groups actively organized presentations and events all over the country, including remote regions of the Northern Areas. In Karachi, a painting competition, the theme for which was "Sporting Events" was held. Renowned Pakistani artist Gulgee judged these paintings and the winners, sponsored by donors, will be given name recognition at the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre.

As part of all these activities, awareness presentations were made to enlighten the young on the efforts of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and AKU in uplifting the conditions of people in developing countries. All youth donors contributing a unit received a special memento and a Sports and Rehabilitation Centre newsletter from AKU. In addition, as a permanent reminder of their participation, their names have been etched on a glass wall at the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre.